Youth theatre group feline good

It is fair to say that taking on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical CATS is a tough proposition regardless of whether you are a professional or amateur production company.

But that’s just what Todmorden Hippodrome Youth Theatre group is doing this week.

The ambitious production kicked off on Tuesday night and runs until Saturday.

CATS is adapted from TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats and is a wonderful blend of fantasy, drama and romance set on the night of the Jellicle Cats Ball in a sparkling fusion of music, dance and verse.

It has been created by the same award-winning team of Martin Cook, Helen Clarkson, Alexandra Townend and Lisa Parker that delighted audiences of all ages with their recent productions of Hairspray and Les Miserables.

“When we sat down as a production team this year to decide on the show we would be staging, we never in a million years thought it would be CATS!” says the team.

“We looked at the list of shows available to us and nothing really caught our eye and then CATS popped up!

“We immediately started to question, can we do it?

“Is our cast capable of such a mammoth production? “Are we, as a team, capable of such a mammoth production?

“CATS is not done often and for good reason, as it is incredibly challenging and tiring for even a professional cast!

“The cast is capable and it has absolutely stunned us with the level of commitment and enthusiasm for the work involved in this show!

“This has been an immense task for all involved! Two hours off non stop movement and pretending to be an animal is no mean feat, but the cast has approached it with a great attitude and an incredible amount of talent as we are sure the audience will agree after watching the show.”

With an amazing musical score that includes the timeless Memory, spectacular set design, stunning costumes and breathtaking choreography, CATS is a magical musical like no other.